


Angel

by caswinchesterbaby



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, Just Roll With It, M/M, human!Cas, life at the bunker, temporary tattoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-10
Updated: 2014-08-10
Packaged: 2018-02-12 14:21:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2113209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caswinchesterbaby/pseuds/caswinchesterbaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when Castiel (ex-angel of the Lord) stumbles upon a temporary tattoo that just screams his name? Dean certainly knows the answer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Angel

“Dean, look at this.”

“Not again.” Dean groaned, already trudging over to his angel. Cas had unfortunately found the bunker’s extra room filled with random crap. Dean and Sam had taken one look at the room upon discovering the bunker and immediately closed the door. Of course, Cas had managed to find it after staying at the bunker for only two days.

“But this is important.” Cas whined, his voice edged with a deadly clarity that reminded Dean of when he first met the ex-angel.

“It better be, because that random Ken doll that you apparently thought looked just like me was deemed ‘of dire importance’ and I have different views on that.” Dean grumbled, taking his spot beside his best friend.

“Are you fucking kidding me, Cas?” Dean internally groaned, or well not so internally. “A temporary tattoo?”

“But Dean, it says Angel.” Cas argued, looking at the tattoo as if it were a trap. “Is it meant for me? Should I keep it?”

“Cas, it’s a tramp stamp for tween girls. Just throw it away or something.” Dean grumbled, heading to leave the room. It was almost two a.m. and he and Sam were heading out for a hunt tomorrow. He needed his four hours.

“But…I was an angel.” Cas had muttered, voice quiet. It didn’t matter, Dean had already left the room now. Pocketing the small tattoo, Cas followed Dean out of the room to attempt to watch over him while he slept. Dean always said no, but Cas would wait outside his door until the humanity was too much and he too fell asleep.

 

*~**~*

 

“Cas, we talked about this. Personal space.” Dean gawked, but really wasn’t surprised much to find – yet again – Castiel sleeping on the floor outside his door.

“My apologies.” Cas offered through a yawn.

“Why don’t you ever watch over Sam at night?” Dean only really meant it as a joke, but Cas took the new suggestion extremely seriously.

“Dean, I took you out of Hell. It is you that I watch out for now.” 

Dean only squinted at the ex-angel, a confused tilt to his head – which he most definitely did not learn from Cas, thank you very much. Shrugging, he trudged to the kitchen to get his first of many cups of coffee. Sam wasn’t up yet, or if he was, he was out running.

“Dean?”

“Yeah, Cas?”

Taking his first sip of black coffee, Dean looked at his friend who was sitting at the table wrapped in a soft blue blanket. Dean didn’t remember ever seeing that blanket, he figured Castiel must have found it in the extra room last night. Cas looked nervous despite looking like he just woke up with less than two hours of sleep. Dean also noticed that Cas was holding something in his left hand, but it was small enough that Dean wasn’t able to see what it was.

“Would you, um…”Cas fumbled, looking visibly stressed. The poor guy had only lost his grace less than a week ago and was still having troubles with human functions. Maybe he had to sneeze? Pee? Was bored?

“Spit it out, Cas.”

Cas swallowed, gathering his courage. He wasn’t sure how to ask this of Dean, especially since Dean reacted so negatively the night before on the topic.

“Would you assist me in putting on this tattoo?” Cas finally opened his hand , revealing the small temporary tattoo no bigger than his small finger – black cursive lettering, a small heart at the end of the word, and to top it all off; a little halo above the peak of the ‘A’. Dean opened his mouth. Then he closed it. Then he opened it again. Then it was closed. This must have gone on for about four minutes until Cas broke.

“It’s okay if you do not wish to help me. I cannot force you.” Cas began, already feeling guilty for even asking. Why would Dean even want to help him? So what if he has no idea how to get the little word onto his skin, that doesn’t mean Dean is obliged to show him.

“I’ll help you, Cas.”

 

*~**~*

 

Dean didn’t think he had ever seen Cas look so excited before.

The ex-angel was sitting atop the edge of the bathroom sink patiently – impatiently – waiting for Dean to put the tattoo on him. He watched as Dean took a small towel and put it under the spray of warm water coming from the faucet. A few drops spilled onto Cas’s pajama pants but he didn’t care, he was too damn excited.

“Okay, where do you want this thing?” Dean asked, still feeling more than a little weird about this whole ordeal. If it wasn’t for the expression gracing Cas’s face, Dean didn’t think he would have had the strength to go through with this.

“On my skin.” He answered honestly. Dean didn’t have to resist the urge to roll his eyes, he didn’t. 

“Where on your skin?” He clarified, a small smile resting on his lips.

“Oh.” Cas deadpanned, clearly not having thought of this yet. He looked around at his body, still not used to it being his and not simply a vessel. After a few minutes of serious inquiry he seemed to decide on a worthy stretch of skin. “On my back, right in between where my wings used to be.”

Dean’s jaw did not drop. He will deny it until his very last day. It simply did not happen.

“On your back?” Dean repeated, visibly shocked. 

“Yes, I think that was what I had said.” Cas looked extremely serious. “It would mean a lot to me if you would still help me.”

“Yeah…yeah, of course, buddy.” Dean rambled, completely forgetting the task at hand and just staring at Castiel. “Um, you’re going to need to take your shirt off if you want it on your back.”

“I suspected.” Cas lifted his shirt up and Dean found himself turning away, it seemed almost wrong to see an angel – well ex-angel – without a shirt. It was as if he was intruding on a private moment. It was stupid, Dean knew that in order to put the tattoo onto Cas he was bound to look eventually but he just couldn’t shake that feeling of wrong in his gut.

“I’m ready, Dean.” Cas’s voice was low and gravelly, but there was an edge of excitement. When Dean looked back at his friend he was instantly reminded of a kid in a candy store. Cas’s eyes were alight with an odd fascination and excitement that was apparently contagious because Dean found himself suddenly smiling.

“Just turn around so that I can see your back.” Dean ordered, voice gentle. He had expected Cas to be pale due to having always worn a trench coat while he was an angel but was surprised to see that he was just as tan as Dean was, if not more so. Jimmy also hadn’t apparently missed any days at the gym because Cas was pretty fit, too. Dean had to look away because he was staring.

“What I’m going to do is put the tattoo on your skin,” Dean placed the tattoo right between Cas’s shoulder blades, exactly where the ex-angel wanted it. “then place the towel over it,” Dean put the still slightly dripping towel above the tattoo and applied a small amount of pressure. “and hold it for about three minutes. I’ve never really done this before, so I hope this is the right way.”

“Thank you, Dean.” Cas began, looking at Dean through the mirror above the sink. “This does mean a lot to me.”

“Why do you want the thing anyway?” Dean couldn’t help but ask. It was just a stupid temporary tattoo, it didn’t mean anything.

“I…I don’t know.” Cas looked down, his body tensing underneath Dean’s hand. “I just miss being an angel, I guess.”

Dean would be lying if he said that his heart didn’t break a little right then and there. His best friend was in pain, not the physical kind, but the emotional kind. Dean wasn’t a stranger to loss, Hell, he probably knew more about loss than most people, but he had never gone through what Cas was going through. To be an almighty being, to hold so much power, to be an Angel for god’s sake, and then for it to be ripped from him. For his Grace to diminish and his powers and wings to be taken from him, Dean had no idea what that was like. To be able to soar the skies, live in Heaven and on Earth, and then be grounded, to become a human. 

No. Dean had no idea what that was like.

“I’m sorry, Cas.” 

“Don’t be. There was nothing you could have done to have stopped my fall.” Cas wasn’t meeting Dean’s eyes through the mirror, was still looking down to the floor with a frown on his face. 

They were silent then, neither of them knowing exactly what to say. Dean felt guilty, as if Cas’s fall was his fault. He knew that he wasn’t the one at fault, but he also knew he was connected to it and that guilt laced itself deep in Dean’s soul.

Cas was just sad. He missed his wings the most. The ability to fly – wherever and whenever he wanted – was something he took for granted. Cars were just so slow. Wings were much faster.

He had completely forgotten why he was shirtless in the bathroom with Dean until he felt the now cold towel being pulled away from his skin.  
Dean removed the towel and slowly picked at the corner of the paper the tattoo was previously on. When he peeled up a quarter inch and the black lettering stayed on Cas’s skin, he carefully removed the rest. Grabbing another towel – this time a dry one – he gently patted at the small section of Cas’s skin.

He didn’t know what made him do it – the guilt, the care he was exhibiting, the trust Cas was placing in him – but something made him lean down and press his lips to the tattoo. It was gentle, just a slow placement of lips onto letters, but it showed great care.

Cas immediately tensed, but quickly relaxed, bringing his eyes to the mirror to watch Dean. A small smile unfurled on his lips, which only gave Dean encouragement to keep going. He placed gentle kisses to each shoulder blade, exactly where Cas’s wings would have sprouted from had he still been an angel.

“I’m sorry.” Dean whispered, though he wasn’t sure why. “I’m sorry that you fell and are now human. I wish I could change that, you know I would do anything to help you. You’re family.”

“Thank you, Dean.” Cas slowly turned so that he could see his back in the mirror, waiting until Dean moved far enough away so that he didn’t hit him. The tattoo was small but intricate. It was simple, but yet it was everything Cas wanted. He was proud to have been an angel, only wished that he still was one. After a few minutes of blatant staring – Cas staring at the tattoo and Dean staring at Cas – a knock sounded through the bathroom.

“You guys in there?” Sam asked from outside the door. Dean met Cas’s eyes but when Cas nodded Dean let Sam in. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing.” Dean answered automatically. Sam gave him his famous bitchface and turned to Cas.

“Dean was assisting me in putting on a temporary tattoo.” Sam’s eyebrows raised but Cas didn’t say anything else.

“Can I see it?”

“Of course.” Cas turned around so that his back was facing Sam. There was silence for a few minutes while Sam looked at the tattoo. When Sam burst out in laughter, Dean immediately glared at his younger brother.

“I’m sorry.” Sam managed to get out through fits of laughter. “It’s just that, Dean, you put a tramp stamp onto an ex-angel of the lord.”

“Shut up, Samsquatch.” Dean fired back, already pushing Sam out of the bathroom.

“Wait, Cas.” Sam yelled as he was shoved through the doorway. “I like it, I get that it means more to you than a simple tattoo.”

“Thank you, Sam.”

 

*~**~*

 

Three weeks later when Dean and Sam took Cas to a tattoo barn to get the anti-possession tattoo above his heart, Cas didn’t hesitate to ask if he could get another tattoo also. When Dean shrugged and said sure, he wasn’t expecting to get kicked out of the room and to have to wait outside. After what felt like hours, Cas finally emerged from the tattoo barn with a grinning Sam.

“So, can I see what you got?” Dean asked, a lot more than just slightly curious.

“You have to wait.” Cas stated, getting into the impala. Sam grinned and ruffled Dean’s hair, which was extremely out of character for him. It wasn’t until later that night, when Dean was going to bed – annoyed at Sam and Cas for keeping the tattoo a secret from him – that Cas finally approached him.

“I want to show you my tattoos.” 

“Oh, so now you do?” Dean asked, his voice not betraying the slight anger he felt.

“Yes. I wanted to show you in private.” Cas said, pulling Dean into his own room. When Dean turned away from closing the door he found that Cas was now shirtless and sitting on the edge of Dean’s bed. The anti-possession tattoo was clearly visible above Cas’s heart, identical to the one that Dean and Sam had. There was another tattoo, an angel sigil above Cas’s left hipbone that Dean knew was from Cas’s first time being human. Dean didn’t know exactly what it meant, but knew that it was another protection symbol. 

Those were the only tattoos that Dean could see. So why was it that Cas didn’t want Dean in the room with him when he got it? Dean thought that Cas had asked to get another tattoo also?

“I have another that I would like to show you, if that’s okay.” Cas said gently, eyes never leaving Dean. When Dean nodded Cas took a deep breath and turned around. 

There it was.

It was beautiful.

“Cas.” Dean breathed out, across the room and hands roaming Cas’s back before he could even think of what he was doing. 

Across the entirety of Cas’s back was a fresh inked tattoo of an angel’s wings. Both wings emerged from between his shoulder blades and fanned out, peaking underneath the waistband of his jeans and even surging onto his arms. Each feather was artfully drawn in black ink – lacing and interconnected – even highlighted with white, gold, and silver ink. If Dean looked close enough – and he was looking pretty damn close – he could even make out the grain of the feathers on both wings.

They were surreal. 

“Why…why didn’t you want me to see this before?” Dean managed to stammer out, jaw slack in awe. A slight blush was working its way up Cas’s neck and shoulders but Dean was too mesmerized by the masterpiece that was Cas’s back to even think about what that meant.

“Because these are wings, Dean. Angel wings. An angel does not show their wings to just anyone. Sam had seen them, yes, but he is my family too.” Cas paused for a moment, looking anywhere but behind him at Dean. “I wanted you to see them while we were alone. I wanted you to know that this is something very special to me.”

“Yeah.” Dean managed, knowing what Cas really meant by wanting Dean to see the wings privately. “You’re pretty special to me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!! This is actually my first ficlet I've put on ao3 so please tell me what you think! :)


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